GranFondo

The GranFondo Adventure






I took off Friday morning with the Bleriot in the back of my car and headed up the desolate central valley, cut over to Walnut Creek and ended up here.





The ancestral home of the Bleriot













I had a nice lunch and headed up to Santa Rosa where I checked in at the start area and checked out some of the vendor wares.






Went to bed early figuring it would be a big day on Saturday. It was a cool morning as I rode to the start park, a couple of miles.





Each person choose their start position by their riding abilities. I figured I could keep up with the aero recumbant




































I rolled across the start line at 8:30



















We left the city of Santa Rosa and headed toward the sea, the roads were hilly, but the climbs not bad, from the look of the crowd, I thought I would be the only rider on a steel lugged bike, but I came up to a father son riding together. The father was on a Rivendell, a very early Rivendell. We chatted a bit about bikes and then I left them behind. There was a rest stop at an old train depot, very picturesque, I fueled up on bananas and fig newtons, they also had water and electrolyte drinks.











The road split and the 100mi guys headed to the hills. My ride went through the Russian river valley, and spilled out onto the ocean road, where there was a moderate crosswind, made for dicey bike handling. Little did we know what was coming.

After the amazing ocean scenery, we took a left turn into a wall. It was nothing more than a paved forest road, that went straight up;. I heard that it was 18%. I believe it was at least that. I put the bike into the 30x34 gear and just started grinding my way up, many were walking, guys were cramping and it went on forever, but I did get passed by the pros, and some guy on a LHT (that's for you Errin).

After that was over, there was some awesome descending and then through a very rural area, and finally a nice touch was added. They directed the riders to a 3 mi gravel bike path, which came out right at the park for the finish.

The after party had good beer, good food and an expanded vendor display.


























and the scenery was nice there too.






























Wish some others from the cigar band could have made it.

Scott Nydam, a pro from the BMC team I believe, finished fastest, He did the 103 mi with 6500 feet of climbing in 4 hrs 48 min. I did the 65mi with 3000ft( I think it was more) in 5 hours

If this link works, it should open the route in google earth, there are more pics there linked to the route

Levi__039_s_Granfondo_2009.kml

Bruce

le French Ride

Bonjour

This will be known as le French ride. The blog should be read with a bad French accent. Four intrepid souls met at la Starbuck. Gary, Seb, Geraldo and I. We took off about 6:30 down le Colorado Blvd, chatting and enjoying the overcast cool morning. All glad we weren't looking at a 25 mile 20% climb up some crazy hill.

We could tell it was going to be a good ride. We came down the hill from the freeway and hit both lights green getting us up to San Fernando Blvd. Quick trip down Sonora to le Griffith Park where we fueled up and headed up that nasty little hill from le travel town to the gate. I owned that hill, dropping everyone and getting to the gate in good time. We regathered and started up le trash dump hill. I knew it was going to be tough to take this hill. Le badger and I traded lead till about half way up, then he got a little gap that he held. I stayed on his wheel trying to save a little for that last steep 100 meters. We got to the last switchback together, but at that point I had nothing left. I started to claw my way back on the last hill, but true to le Badger's nature there were no gifts. Seb rolled in seconds later and Gary led le lantern rouge.

Down the hill through the tunnel to Figaros for some omelette Figaro and a round of maudites




an uneventful relaxing ride down le Sunset to Gare Goldline









Which takes us right to le grand L'orange for awesome bloody marys

The Badger and I did some bike shopping and if you are still reading this Michael, Geraldo didn't buy the Cervelo

See you all next week

The Bald Men on Baldy

Alright just got up from a nice nap.

The route: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/CA/Los%20Angeles/505124925978311662

This is the 3rd epic Sunday in a row. Four of us met at the Pasadena Starbucks at 5;30. Geraldo, Michael, Gary and Bruce. We drove over to, Gil's had some coffee, watered the horses and took off.

The 3mi ride from Gils to the base of GMR early in the morning is always a pleasant warm up. We started the climb about 6;45 The top of the mountains were still shrouded in mist as the sun was coming up from behind.

The climb starts out gradually and we stayed together for awhile. I was intentionally starting out slowly, so I wouldn't blowup like I did on Kanan road last Sunday. I felt good and got into a comfortable rhythm and started dropping people. Lucky the Kens weren't there. After a slow grind up the hill I was stoked that I made it to the top gate without having to get off the bike. I waited at the usual spot until Michael and Geraldo joined me. They stayed to wait for Gil. I took off for the next 10 mi of climbing on my own.

A lot of young kids were blowing by me and I kept looking over my shoulder for Michael. I know he can take my on climbs like this. What i didn't know is that they were being attacked by coyotes and Indians from the way they tell it.

About half way up I stopped to fuel and drink. The weather was still perfect for climbing. I was spurred on by the crowds by the side of the road and the commentary by Phil and Paul. After more grinding I made it to the top and waited. Michael showed up soon and we waited for a bit then rode down to the lodge in Baldy Village. What a relief to sit down and have a bunch of ice water. Geraldo made it and we had a nice light breakfast.

We got worried about Gil and Gary so we took off back down the mountain. It was starting to heat up which made the few climbs uncomfortable. 20 miles downhill is a long way and the crouch rockets carving the canyons were really annoying, but we all made it down safely.

Back at Gil's house we found out that they had come so close to making it to the top, before turning around. They had some issues with water and the heat. gary had to go down and get Gils car and come back up to pick him up Good job Gary.

Gil gets the climbing award for making it as far as he did on a mountain bike.

I suggest next week we do a group ride were we actually ride in a group.

Till Then

Kanan Road Extra

http://www.mapmyride.com/run//ca/calabasas/247124864984327641

Here's todays ride. 5 of us met at a Starbucks on Agura road. Michael, Gary, Geraldo, Tim and me
we rolled out about 7am. The weather was nice the riding easy, mostly downhill to the ocean. We lost Michael and Gary at the tunnel on malibu canyon road because of a flat. Tim, Geraldo and I reached the ocean together and then Tim set a blistering pace down PCH on the Madone. I hung back but still dropped Geraldo. At the Topanga turn off Geraldo and I waited for Gary and Michael for awhile but they never showed. At the old Topanga turnoff Michael finally caught up with us. I didn't see Gary again until lunch.The ride on old Topanga is very pretty, hilly but shady.

Then the fun started. Geraldo and I paced each other along Mulholland until we stopped at this quaint wine tasting shop in Cornell. We had a couple of beers and a nap while we waited for Michael. Tim and Gary bailed at the Las Virgenes intersection. smart!

The three of us took off toward Kanan Road, but for some reason Michael didn't want to take the easy way, and me not being very bright went along with him. Geraldo took a cutoff that took him back to Agura Rd. Smart!!

Then the climb started and it went up and up and up and it was out in the sun and got hotter and hotter. In the 5 extra miles we did I bonked twice. Michael said he was suffering, but he sure didn't show it.

We finally got to Agura Rd and dragged our asses back to the Starbucks about 3 or 4 hours after the others.

After a great lunch at Islands with some surf talk, everything was better

Carl zach

Shot from the carl zach crit. Cat 1 race
This was the final stage of the tour of dairyland. Beautiful night for
bike racing

Last leg

Another 65 mi day in high heat and humidity. They're advising sane
people to stay indoors. But this is the last day of riding until I
return to la next week

Taste of horrible

Checking out the route of the annual horribly hilly 100. I could do this

Taste of the horrible.

Checking out the route of the annual horribly hilly 100 ride. I could
do this.

Earth rider

Todays ride had everything beautiful scenery, hills, heat, bird
attacks. I'm stayying in a little bed and breakfast called earth rider
hotel. It's designed for bicycle riders. Each of it's 5 rooms is named
after the 5 five time winners of the tour de France. I'm in the
jaques anquetil room.

The heat did get to me today. It was in the low 80's but a hot sun and
high humidity. I honked after about 70 miles. Tums saved me again. I
was doing hammer gel every hour but probably not drinking enough water.

Tomorrow is only about 30 mi. Good recovery day

Later

Sent from my iPhone

MotionX GPS Track: Brodhead

Hello,

Roadmaster66 uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G and is sharing with you the following track:

Epic 80 mi ride today

Name:	Brodhead
Date:	Jun 22, 2009 6:19 am
Distance:	78.1 miles
Elapsed Time:	8:11:28
Avg Speed:	9.5 mph
Max Speed:	107.1 mph
Avg Pace:	06' 17" per mile
Min Altitude:	618 ft
Max Altitude:	903 ft

Start Time:	2009-06-22T11:19:25Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	43º 00' 09" N
Longitude:	88º 14' 56" W

End Time:	2009-06-22T19:30:54Z
End Location:
Latitude:	42º 37' 48" N
Longitude:	89º 16' 07" W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Jul 22, 2009 2:32 PM PDT.

There are three files attached to this email:

"Brodhead.kmz" is a Google KML track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Brodhead.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

"Brodhead.jpg" is a picture attached to the track by Roadmaster66.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS Lite for the iPhone 3G is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Brodhead.kml file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Brodhead.kml file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ref-id: aca19f6e-2d88-4b95-bb44-43d2a55724c6

Riv at Waterford

Stoped at the Waterford bicycle factory. Had a nice cost and tour.
Took this just outside of town. About a 40 mile ride today beautiful
but windy. Some hills you guys would have enjoyed

Milwaukee

Having breakfast with my sister. I like civilization

Sent from my iPhone

Albuquerque

Some scenes along the way

Albuquerque

Well. I'm going to make albuquerque the end of this part of my trip.
This was my initial 1st goal. I got a taste of riding route 66. This
part of it is mostly not fun. And the bottom line is my tires were not
rugged enough for the environment I was riding. Tomorrow I get on
amtrak and head to Wisconsin where they is must better riding. I will
keep blogging till I get back to LA so stay tuned.

Sent from my iPhone

Gallup NM

Made it to Gallup. Today was a good ride. When I got near NM I finally
got off I-40 and on to some original 66. Beatifil weather and a slight
tailwind. I haven't had cell phone service for days. Gps is spotty but
I found a nice motel in Gallup with wifi.

No ride

Woke up not feeling 100%. I think the altitude is affecting me. Two
days between 7000-5000 ft. Will relax in this little town and head out
tomorrow.

Thanks for your support

Sent from my iPhone

Recovery day

I decided to use today as a recovery day. Just ride 30 mi. Because
tomorrow I have 100 mi to go. I'm in Holbrook Az. Feeling a little
tired. Perpetuum seems to help during the ride. Days not too hot. But
it is very dry and I'm still at 5000 ft. Had 1st flat today. Have to
watch out for those little pieces of wire from blown truck tires that
litter the shoulder. Tomorrows a long day. Starting at 4am. There is a
24 he dennys next to hotel. I'll fuel up there. Later

Sent from my iPhone

MotionX GPS Track: Track 002

Hello,

Roadmaster66 uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G and is sharing with you the following track:

Name:	Track 002
Date:	Jun 1, 2009 5:58 am
Distance:	74.3 miles
Elapsed Time:	5:51:23
Avg Speed:	12.7 mph
Max Speed:	63.7 mph
Avg Pace:	04' 44" per mile
Min Altitude:	4,736 ft
Max Altitude:	6,876 ft

Start Time:	2009-06-01T12:58:06Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	35.194101º N
Longitude:	111.633453º W

End Time:	2009-06-01T18:49:29Z
End Location:
Latitude:	35.023497º N
Longitude:	110.698036º W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Jul 1, 2009 5:15 PM PDT.

There are two files attached to this email:

"Track 002.kmz" is a Google KML track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Track 002.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS Lite for the iPhone 3G is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Track 002.kml file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Track 002.kml file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ref-id: 37a86d88-271f-4168-8f49-01a2603ef308

1st day

I made it to Winslow Az. I rode 75 mi. Made good time unfortunately 15
mi was in the wrong direction. Finding the correct turn out of
Flagstaff was confusing. I'll post route next.

Hanging out

Got to train station early. Didn't know how long it would take to pack
bike. Packing lady was very nice and helpful. Bike ready to go by 5pm.
Just waiting for train to board

Ready to ride

Trying out colorful clothing in the neighborhood.

Final pack. Ready to go

Change of Plan

Originally I was going to leave from my house and just start riding, but as I studied the road through the California desert, I kept thinking this doesn't look fun. I finally decided it not only wasn't fun, but probably dangerous to try and ride 120mi unsupported on a loaded bike in 104 degree heat, with no rest stops, no shade , no motels, nothing. So my new plan is to get on the train in Los Angeles and take that to Flagstaff, and start riding from there. It's much cooler, there are more facilities closer together and I actually have a chance to make it to Wisconsin in a month

Thanks Josh

Home

Test path from track my tour

You can follow along at:

http://www.trackmytour.com/542/

Sent from my iPhone

Shakedown

Just did a shakedown ride up trashdump hill with the loaded bike.
1200 ft of climbing
Also tryng out another iPhone app b.icycle. Ranks up there with motion
x. But more bike specific

Photo test

Sent from my iPhone

Just testing posting to blog

Getting ready for trip

I tried the bike out around the neighborhood with about half load. it handled better than i thought

Getting ready for trip